Leading Light Wind is requesting a pause from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on its offshore wind farm project off Long Beach Island. The company, which filed its request in July but was only recently made public, is struggling to secure a supplier for turbine blades essential to the project.
In its request, Leading Light Wind asked for a delay until December 20 to find a new blade supplier. The company cited challenges in the current market conditions as a reason for the delay. Wes Jacobs, project director and vice president of Offshore Wind Development at Invenergy—one of the project’s partners—highlighted the need for additional time to engage with the board and supply chain partners.
Jacobs affirmed the project’s commitment to providing substantial economic and environmental benefits to New Jersey despite the setback. During the proposed pause, Leading Light Wind will continue with other developmental tasks, including surveys and preparation of the construction and operations plan.
Opponents of offshore wind projects in New Jersey have welcomed the delay. Protect Our Coast NJ criticized the project, arguing that large-scale offshore wind installations are impractical and damaging to the marine environment. This sentiment echoes the recent decision by Danish wind energy firm Orsted to cancel two offshore wind farms in New Jersey due to financial concerns.
The situation is further complicated by issues faced by other New Jersey projects. Atlantic Shores is re-evaluating its financial terms, while concerns about offshore wind have intensified following an incident in July where a turbine blade disintegrated off Martha’s Vineyard, with debris washing ashore.
Leading Light Wind was one of two projects approved by the state utilities board in January. However, challenges arose shortly after approval, including the refusal of GE Vernova to announce the turbine type for the project and increased costs from Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. Consequently, the project is now without a viable turbine supplier.
The offshore wind project, a joint venture between Chicago-based Invenergy and New York-based energyRE, is planned to be located 40 miles off Long Beach Island and aims to deploy up to 100 turbines capable of powering 1 million homes. Despite New Jersey’s ambitious offshore wind goals and recent investments in wind turbine component manufacturing, opposition to the industry remains strong among local communities and political figures, particularly Republicans. Supporters argue that offshore wind is crucial for reducing fossil fuel reliance and mitigating climate change.